Longueuil, Quebec, September 13, 2013 – On September 15, 2013, Canadian satellite CASSIOPE (Cascade SmallSat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer) will be launched from Vandenberg, California, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is scheduled for 12:00 EDT and will be broadcast live on the SpaceX Website.
CASSIOPE is a multi-purpose mission designed to conduct space environment research and telecommunications technology demonstration. Its scientific payload ePOP (enhanced polar outflow probe) will observe the ionosphere and enable scientists to collect new data on space storms in Earth's upper atmosphere and assess their potential impacts. CASSIOPE also includes the Cascade technology demonstrator for high speed store and forward information delivery.
This science mission was developed as a result of a close collaboration between several key partners including the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), 10 Canadian universities led by the University of Calgary and 2 research organizations, amongst others.
With the launch of CASSIOPE, Canada will make a significant contribution to unravelling the mysteries of space weather.
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